Family Portrait
by Nightborn Dreamer
Summary: Naruto worries over Sasuke's family not accepting them while feeling morose over his own lack of family.


**Family Portrait **

Pairing: NarutoxSasuke

Summary: Naruto worries over Sasuke's family not accepting them while feeling morose over his own lack of family.

Author's Note: So I got this fic idea when I saw pictures of family together. I really hope you guys enjoy it. ^_^; Sasuke's kind of…sappy in this. Sort of. It was weird to write but I wanted Naruto to be comforted in this, even though he should be comforting Sasuke too. Lol. He will. He just needed to deal with his insecurities and stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**~*NS*~**

Naruto entered his boyfriend's apartment and quickly kicked off his wet shoes. It had been _pouring_ outside and he was soaked. Since his boyfriend hadn't made it back from work yet, he moved into the bedroom, peeled off his wet clothes and decided to take a quick shower. After he towel dried himself, he changed into some clothes he had left there, thankful that his boyfriend had given him a drawer. They had been dating for a little over a year and over the months more and more of his stuff ended up getting left there. It was nice, actually, to see his stuff mingling together with his boyfriend's.

Checking his phone, Naruto saw that he got a text from Sasuke, his boyfriend. He had decided to pick up some Chinese food for them and was on his way back. Being fluent in his boyfriend's language, Naruto knew that this meant he had a hard day. Sasuke was never in the mood to cook after a long day at work, but usually he just ordered from home. If he went out to get it himself, it meant he was also in a bad mood and needed to calm down, something driving helped with.

Sighing, Naruto plopped down on the couch, knowing that when Sasuke came home his mood would be better. Naruto learned quite early in the relationship that when his boyfriend was in a bad mood, to give him some space. He didn't like to be around people when he was angry, not many people did except those who wanted to fight – Naruto was sometimes guilty of that, actually. It was one of the reasons why he got kicked out of so many foster homes.

He didn't know why he still thought of it. His memories in those places weren't completely horrible, but they weren't pleasant either. In fact, not many memories of his childhood in general were very pleasant. He spent most of his time feeling like a total outcast. He kept moving from one home to another, from one school to another. He was always the new kid that not a lot of other kids really wanted to talk to, and when he did manage to make a friend, well, too bad. It was time to move again and he had to bid them farewell. Throughout his entire childhood, all Naruto ever wanted was a family. Parents and siblings, even aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and god parents… People who had those, _any_ of those, had no idea how lucky they were. Naruto had none of it. It sucked to see people who had a family take them for granted, complaining about little things like curfews and not getting that shiny new car for their birthday.

Groaning, Naruto rolled onto his side and his eyes fell onto something that always pulled at his heart.

On a table by the wall was a portrait of Sasuke's family, the very same family that probably loathed him and refused to speak with Sasuke until he broke up with him. Naruto still remembered the first time he met Sasuke's family. It had been nothing short of a nightmare. His father had asked him all kinds of personal questions about his life and what he was doing with it. Naruto was still undecided with his major and Sasuke's father looked down on him for it. He was only twenty one; there was still plenty of time for him to figure it out, right? Well, not according to Fugaku. According to that man, he should have known what career he wanted to work since he was four.

Sasuke's mother had been quiet and polite, but Naruto did catch her giving disapproving glances now and then. She just wasn't as straight forward about it as Fugaku.

He thought Sasuke's brother, Itachi, would be cool…up until they were alone. He sometimes stopped Fugaku from going too far when they were all together, but he later cornered Naruto on his way back from the bathroom to question him. Naruto had been pretty much backed into a corner and was made aware that he had to do something to prove to Itachi that he was good enough for Sasuke.

It was horrible. He felt like he was lower than dirt at that place, like he had to jump through hoops just so Sasuke's family would be even the slightest okay with them being together. At the end of the night, just as they were about to leave, Sasuke got pulled aside by his family. Naruto could easily overhear them telling Sasuke that he was no good and should find someone else to be with. Like, say, that pretty girl who actually knew what she was going to do with her life. Not to mention she was a _girl_ and could give them grandchildren. After all, didn't Sasuke want children of his own? Hell, didn't he want to get married or have any kind of future at all?

The only thing that helped was that Naruto wasn't the only one upset by their poor hospitality. Sasuke had cut them off and angry words were exchanged before he took Naruto by the arm and stormed out. They didn't speak much after that, maybe they should have, but they stayed the night together. Sasuke hadn't left him just because his family disapproved, and that comforted him.

But whenever he saw the pictures of Sasuke with his family, he felt guilty.

Who was he to take Sasuke away from his family? Family was precious. It was what he had longed for since he was a child. Had he ever gotten a family, wouldn't he choose them over everyone else? Wasn't that how it was supposed to be? Wasn't family supposed to be _everything_?

Without even realizing it, he had gotten up from the couch and went to pick up the picture. Bitter envy twisted at his insides and he hated it.

They all looked so…_happy_. Sasuke was smiling, something he didn't often do unless completely comfortable and at peace with those he was with. Not many people made that list, though Naruto was certainly one of them who did. Sasuke was but a child in the photo. His mother was on her knees, arms around his shoulders, cheek pressed against the side of his head. His father and brother stood on the left side of the picture, their smiles more faint but still there.

When was the last time Sasuke spoke to his family? Naruto had met them about three months ago, about a month after their one year anniversary. Surely Sasuke still talked to them, even if Naruto himself never saw or heard of it.

He ran his fingers over Sasuke's tiny face.

_I didn't take your family from you, did I?_

_You're not going to hate me for it, are you?_

It wouldn't be unheard of, would it? Weren't people normally angry at those who took their family from them? Naruto thought about whether he would be or not, but he couldn't honestly say. He didn't know what it felt like to have a family, he could only observe how other people acted and talked about their family.

Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts when the door opened and Sasuke came inside. He didn't look so wet, which meant it must have stopped raining. Naruto didn't hear the tapping of the rain on the windows anymore, either.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed at Naruto's expression, though Naruto wasn't sure what he looked like. Guilty? Ashamed? Humiliated? These were certainly things he was feeling.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked as he toed off his shoes and walked toward him with the bag of food in hand.

"Just…thinking."

Sasuke stopped in front of him, taking the portrait from Naruto and letting his eyes scan over the picture.

"I can guess what you were thinking about," he sighed as he put the picture back, face down this time. It was probably done so Naruto would stop thinking about it and feel better. Out of sight, out of mind. But instead it just made him feel worse.

How could he let Sasuke throw away something so precious for someone so…_unworthy_?

"Sasuke, do you still talk to your family? I mean, I…didn't take them away from you, did I?"

"No," Sasuke answered as he ran a hand through his slightly damp hair. "Is that what you're worrying about?" When Naruto didn't answer and looked away, Sasuke continued, "Well, if it'll make you feel any better, I talk to Itachi sometimes. To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood to talk to him for awhile after…that dinner. But. I missed him and so decided to answer one of his calls. We argued, we made up, he's accepted you as a part of my life and wants to have dinner sometime."

Naruto frowned. "You never told me that…"

"Well, I wasn't sure you'd want to see him so I've been making up excuses as to why we can't." Before Naruto could say anything about that, or feel guilty, Sasuke held his hand up and said, "If you want, we can. But don't feel pressured for my sake, or his, because I'm fine and Itachi's a big boy. He'll survive."

"I don't mind."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind if you want to take more time. It's not like my family left a good impression."

"It's not like I did either." Naruto looked off to the side and scratched the back of his neck, something he did when he felt nervous, awkward, or embarrassed.

Sasuke grabbed his chin and forced Naruto to look at him. "They were the ones out of line. You didn't do anything wrong. Do you understand that?"

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek and nodded.

"Good. Now, let's go and eat." Sasuke let him go and turned to walk into the kitchen. Naruto gave one last quick glance at the picture before following. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Sasuke getting the food out. "The chicken fried rice is for me, everything else is for you."

"You're so good to me," Naruto said, trying to lighten the mood. Sasuke didn't look like he wanted to talk about his family and, after he already had a bad day, maybe he shouldn't try and make him.

"I know," Sasuke smiled softly as he took a seat.

"Do you want to talk about your day?"

"It was just full of people being stupid and annoying, nothing huge. I'll tell you about it later."

"Want me to massage you? You can tell me while I do," Naruto allowed himself to grin widely. "We still got some of that oil."

Sasuke smirked. "Sure. Something to look forward to after we eat."

With that, Naruto pushed all of his insecurities, doubts, and worries aside to dig into his food and just enjoy his boyfriend's company.

A few weeks had passed since Naruto and Sasuke had talked about his family. They had dinner with Itachi last Friday which went…much smoother than the last time, but still had a few bumps that prevented Naruto from enjoying it completely. It didn't dispel his worries like he thought it would. Itachi accepted him, but when Sasuke went to the bathroom he made it known that their parents weren't talking to him. He had quickly changed the subject when Sasuke came back from the bathroom but Naruto didn't do a very good job at hiding his concern. Thankfully, he managed to play it off as the food not agreeing with his stomach and they left. He faked being sick for the rest of the night in order to get out of talking.

Since then, he couldn't help but feel like he was a kid again, taking note of the people around him. Children holding their parent's hand while crossing the street, crying at stores when separated from them, looking back at their parents while playing with their friends at the park as if to make sure they were still there, or their parents would be playing with them if there weren't many – or any – other kids around.

These were just little things he always used to see growing up, things that stayed with him and ate at him.

_I don't have that. I will never have that_, he had thought to himself while growing up. _They don't know what they have. I would give anything to have what they do, but they'll never understand. _

He wasn't a child anymore though, and neither was Sasuke. Sasuke wouldn't cry if he lost sight of his parents, nor would he look over his shoulder to see if they were still there and watching. Maybe, since he was an adult, he just simply wouldn't need or want them anymore.

But that wasn't true, was it?

It was true that Sasuke didn't need his parents anymore. He was an adult and could take care of himself. But…did anyone ever stop wanting their parents? Did anyone ever stop wanting their approval and unconditional love? Naruto began to take note of adults with their parents – daughters shopping with their mothers, sons going to sporting events with their sons, families having picnics and just being together.

It made his chest ache just like when he was a kid.

Going back to his apartment at the end of the day after these observations did nothing to cheer him up. His home felt…empty…and cold.

There were no pictures of family anywhere.

Usually when he entered someone's home, there were portraits on the walls or on the tables of family and loved ones. Naruto didn't have any of that. All he had was a picture of himself with Sasuke in his wallet. He had a few pictures of him with his friends up on the internet but it wasn't the same. People put pictures of themselves with strangers on the internet too, but not many put them in their homes.

Having portraits of one's family around their home, around their family's home, might seem tiny and insignificant to them…but to someone who didn't have that, it wasn't. It was special. It meant that you were special to someone. It meant that you _belonged_ somewhere, that you had a _family_.

Or at least, that's what it meant to Naruto.

There was no one who would frame a picture with Naruto in it and put it in their home. He didn't belong anywhere. He never had. He didn't have a family. He never did, and probably never would.

When those thoughts became too much to handle, he went to Sasuke's apartment. He would always get a strange warm feeling when he was there, a feeling he never got when at his own apartment or anywhere else. It was strange but welcomed.

However, when he first went over there after their dinner with Itachi, he noticed that all of his family portraits were taken down and hidden somewhere. He didn't mention it, but it had been on his mind.

He had successfully taken Sasuke's family from him, and the warmth he had once felt there was gone.

All that was left was guilt and worry.

Naruto and Sasuke were on the couch together watching TV. Or, well, trying to. Sasuke was flipping through channels while laying down, his legs propped up on Naruto's lap since he was sitting up.

"I hate Sundays. There's never anything to do and there's nothing on," Sasuke yawned before settling on some stand up comedian.

Naruto let his eyes drift over to where the portrait he had picked up used to be. The table was bare now and so were his walls, save for a few pieces of art work. Sasuke loved going to art galleries and buying whatever appealed to him. Naruto couldn't help but notice that they were mostly of big birds like hawks.

"He's not funny."

Naruto looked back at Sasuke, who looked tired, but there was food on the way – they had ordered in this time – so he didn't want to go to sleep.

"You never think anyone really is. Why did you even settle on this channel?"

"Hn. My finger needed a break."

"From pressing a button?"

"Shush." Sasuke smirked and threw the pillow his head was resting on at him. Naruto caught it and threw it back at him, then began to knead Sasuke's legs, just to have something to do with his hands. Sasuke let out a small groan in appreciation after he tucked the pillow back under his head. "That feels nice. Too bad we ran out of oil."

"I'll pick up some more if you want."

"Mmm, those massages should become a weekly thing."

"Yeah? I'm pretty good, huh?"

"Hn. You're not so bad, I suppose."

Naruto chuckled. "Maybe I should try and be a masseur? Least then I'd have an idea of what to do with my life. Rub people." He had meant it as a joke, but it came out sounding a little bitter and hurt.

Sasuke looked at him with a frown, and then poked his stomach with his big toe.

"I don't want you rubbing other people though. You should only be rubbing me," he smirked, probably trying to keep the mood light and playful. Naruto wanted to let him do that, but his eyes went back to the table where the portrait no longer stood.

"How come all the pictures of your family are gone?" he blurted out, and almost sent Sasuke an apologetic look for bringing it up. He gave his calf a squeeze.

"They're not gone, just put away."

"But _why_? Is it…because of me?"

The atmosphere had changed from playful to serious and Naruto felt himself tense, his heart beat quickening a little. Families were a touchy subject for some couples. He had seen his fair share arguing about in-laws and siblings and never resolving anything. He didn't want that to be them. He didn't want to argue about Sasuke's family and leave everything unresolved just so they could repeat the same argument time and time again.

Sasuke sat up, taking his legs off of Naruto's lap and he immediately missed the contact. He felt the weight disappear and didn't really know what to do with his hands, so he put them on his lap and bunched up the material of his orange sweat pants.

"Well?" he pressed when Sasuke didn't answer after a bit of silence.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. "I admit I didn't want you to think or worry about them anymore. I figured if I put them away where you couldn't see them for awhile, it might ease some of your worries."

"I don't want you to have to hide them though. I don't want to come between you and your family."

"I think you're seeing things backwards."

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke leaned forward and pressed his finger between Naruto's eyebrows, smoothing it out. "They're the ones trying to get between you and me. You're not doing anything."

"But they're your _family_ –"

"And I understand how you feel about that. But listen to me, Naruto, it's not just you. It's any man. They're too traditional and want me to be with a woman who I can marry and birth my biological children. But I don't want to be with women, I never have, and they don't get to decide who I spend my life with. Only I can. And I choose you." He traced Naruto's eyebrow and ran his fingers down his jaw as he spoke.

"I should have warned you beforehand. I knew they wouldn't react well, which was why I put off you meeting them for so long. I wanted to make sure I could be serious about you before I put myself in the position of having to handle my family not approving of my relationship and preference. I figured if we were still together after a year, then I would let them meet you. I didn't want to hide a serious relationship from them. But that meeting was just to let them know who I'm with. If you're worried that their reaction has changed how I feel about you, then don't, because it hasn't. I plan on staying with you for a long, long time."

Naruto unconsciously leaned into the hand now cupping his cheek.

"Why?"

"Because you're everything I'm not and everything I want and need." He removed his hand from Naruto's cheek to lean back against the couch. He spread his legs and beckoned him with his hand. "Come here."

Naruto got on his knees and fell into Sasuke's arms, his head tucked under his chin. He inhaled through his nose, taking in the familiar scent of his lover and sighing in contentment at being held by him and surrounded by his smell. Sasuke had his arms wrapped around him, though one hand came up to play with his hair.

"These things pass. My parents will get used to you just like Itachi. They just need more time."

"And if they don't?" Naruto asked, almost hesitatingly. He wasn't sure he wanted the answer to that. He felt like a selfish jerk. He wasn't sure he would have the will to stop Sasuke from sacrificing his relationship with his family for him.

"Shouldn't you be the one comforting me, saying that they will love me unconditionally as all parents should?"

Right. What was Naruto doing? This had to be hard on Sasuke too. But wasn't that why he was worrying in the first place, because, in the end, he didn't want Sasuke to be hurt or bitter? First and foremost, he wanted Sasuke to always be happy.

"I… Yes. They will. They definitely will."

"I know." He kissed Naruto on the top of his head. "They're not bad people and I know they care, so they _will_ come around. Don't worry about it."

They were quiet for awhile after that, Naruto placing a kiss to Sasuke's collar bone every now and then while Sasuke massaged his scalp. Then…

"You're right. This comedian isn't funny at all."

When Naruto woke up the next morning, Sasuke was already out of bed. He rolled over to his side and hugged Sasuke's pillow to his chest, though his stomach urged him to get up, making growling sounds at the smell of bacon. Stretching his legs under the covers, he yawned and forced himself up in a sitting position, still holding the pillow. The door to the bedroom was open, which meant Sasuke wanted him up. Whenever he was in a kind enough mood to let him sleep in undisturbed, he always left the door closed. When he wanted Naruto up, he left it open and cooked delicious food to lure him out, and it worked every time.

Tossing the pillow on the bed, he got up, lifted his shirt to scratch his stomach, and left the room. As he entered the main room, he immediately noticed that the pictures of Sasuke's family were put back up. He ignored the pang in his chest and wondered if it would ever go away, if the longing to have a family of origin would ever disappear. He hoped so.

But then his eyes caught onto something that made his heart swell in a more pleasant way. Next to the portrait of Sasuke's family on the desk, he saw a picture of them together. Naruto and Sasuke had taken many pictures together, but they were digital and only existed on the computer. The only one he knew that had a physical form was the one in his wallet.

Ignoring the demands of his stomach, Naruto walked over the desk and picked up the picture, feeling something akin to giddiness. They looked so happy in the picture. He remembered their friend Sakura taking him, saying that she had no choice to because it was the happiest she'd ever seen Sasuke. She had known him longer than Naruto, but they had become quick friends. They were sitting in her apartment, on her couch. They were sitting close enough that their bodies were touching. Naruto loved physical contact and even though he'd never admit it, he was fairly certain Sasuke did too.

"I see you've found it."

Naruto turned to see Sasuke standing not so far behind him.

"When did you get this?"

"I've had it for awhile. I usually keep it on the desk at my office, but I decided to get up early this morning and bring it here. I'll just get a new picture for work. I have a few I could use."

Naruto had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from smiling.

"You've had a picture of me on your desk? For how long?"

Sasuke shrugged. "For awhile." He closed the distance between them and pecked him on the lips. "You always look at the pictures of my family, but Naruto, you should realize that _you're_ my family too. And if things continue to work out between us – and I plan for it to – we'll build a family of our own. I know it's not the same as having a family you were born into, and I can never give you that, but I can help you create one."

"You want that?"

"Do _you_?"

"Yes." Naruto didn't have to think about it. Already possibilities of their future were flitting through his mind. He knew Sasuke was right. It wouldn't be the same. And maybe he would never stop feeling like something was missing by not having a family of origin, but he was being offered a family of creation and he would cherish that even more because he knew how precious family was by not having had one.

He wouldn't take Sasuke for granted.

That warm feeling was bubbling up inside of him again. It was foreign and strange and he only ever felt it when he was with Sasuke, especially when they were in his apartment together. An apartment that, maybe, they would share together – or maybe they would get a new place with more space if Sasuke wanted. They had talked about it before, a little bit before their first anniversary, and they would discuss it again sometime in the future.

Letting himself bask in the warmth he felt, he leaned forward and captured Sasuke's mouth, hoping to share some of it with him. When Sasuke wrapped his arms around him, somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized what it was he was feeling.

It was of finally having a place to belong.


End file.
